Application of cadmium-zinc-telluride detectors in U-235 enrichment measurements

Technical Report · Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1994

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/10163810· OSTI ID:10163810

Ruhter, W D; Gunnink, R ^[1]

---

1. Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States). Nuclear Chemistry Div.

High-resolution, gamma- and x-ray spectrometry are used routinely in nuclear safeguards verification measurements of plutonium and uranium in the field. These measurements are mostly performed with high-purity germanium (HPGe) detectors, that require cooling to liquid-nitrogen temperatures, thus limiting their utility in field and unattended safeguards measurement applications. NaI scintillation detectors do not require cooling, but their moderate energy resolution (10% at 122 keV) is insufficient in most cases for reliable verification measurements. Semiconductor detectors that operate at room temperature, such as cadmium-zinc-telluride (CdZnTe) detectors, with energy resolution performance reaching 2.0% at 122 keV may complement HPGe detectors for certain safeguards verification applications. The authors used a 5x5x5 mm CdZnTe detector to measure U-235 enrichments ranging from 3% to 75%. They use a spectrum analysis technique that fits U-235, U-238, and U K x-ray response profiles to data in the 89- to 100-keV region of gamma-ray spectrum. From the relative magnitudes of the U-235 and U-238 profiles they determine the U-235 enrichment with an accuracy of about 10% with CdZnTe detectors.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 10163810
• Report Number(s): UCRL-JC-117227; CONF-940524-9; ON: DE94014712; TRN: 94:013677
• Resource Relation: Conference: 8. symposium on radiation measurements and applications,Ann Arbor, MI (United States),16-19 May 1994; Other Information: PBD: Apr 1994
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
SEMICONDUCTOR DETECTORS
ACCURACY
URANIUM 235
GAMMA SPECTRA
X-RAY SPECTRA
URANIUM 238
ISOTOPE ENRICHED MATERIALS
SAFEGUARDS
AMBIENT TEMPERATURE
MEASURING METHODS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
DATA ANALYSIS
ISOTOPE RATIO
NUCLEAR MATERIALS MANAGEMENT
055001
440103
TECHNICAL ASPECTS
NUCLEAR SPECTROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTATION